I have gathered from comments here that the topic of moving hot air has been discussed to death and that folks are tired of it?
Having searched and read copious amounts of information (some of which I even understand) I find that each home is different and that what works for one may not work for another.
So I must chance annoying folks to ask my own questions, repetitive as they might be.
My home is a simple rectangle with two floors- upstairs living area of 1200 sg ft (several small rooms) and the basement family room 800 sq ft (one big room). There is also a garage on the basement level, obviously in a separate room. The basement has no ceiling- just joists and subfloor. The PE 'Pacific' insert is in the basement on the north end of the house. The stairway is on the same end of the house perhaps eight feet or so to the side of the insert. The stairway door is left open at all times. The upstairs is extremely well insulated, but the exterior doors in the basement are drafty enough that we get plenty of fresh air drawn in (I think).
The heat from the basement comes up the stairs pretty well as it is with the insert blower alone, and I think the lack of finished ceiling allows for some heat transfer that way, too (right?). But I have an invalid living in a bedroom at the south end of the upstairs furthest from the heat source and above the unheated garage and so the coldest room in the house. I am interested in maximizing the heat to her bedroom. There is a cold air return in her bedroom.
At first I thought I would utilize a cold air return near the insert and had one installed. But in reading I have learned that this is not the way to go for various reasons, C02 being one.
Then I tried just using my furnace fan, but as I see has happened to others the air has cooled by the time it exits the registers.
My question is this- which of the two options would get me more heat upstairs:
Exhaust some air from the south end of the upstairs where it is coolest to drawn more hot air in? Like a bathroom exhaust fan only larger?
Or blow cold air back to the downstairs through an existing hole in the floor. I could use a heat register opening by setting aside the ductwork and placing a fan in the opening. Of course then I would lose the register heat to that room...
Or is simply setting a fan in the stairwell blowing cool air down the best thing? Should it be set floor level?
I hope I have described my homes layout in a manner that is understandable. If you need more information please ask.
I know this topic has been discussed to death and I hope like heck I am not violating some secret agreement amongst menbers to cut it out already. I am just learning about air movement so if you prefer to send me to some website to do further research instead of answering that's fine.
Otherwise- how can I best move my air around?
(Photo of insert/basement room attached. It was taken months ago and the TV has been moved away from the insert already. Relax
)
Having searched and read copious amounts of information (some of which I even understand) I find that each home is different and that what works for one may not work for another.
So I must chance annoying folks to ask my own questions, repetitive as they might be.
My home is a simple rectangle with two floors- upstairs living area of 1200 sg ft (several small rooms) and the basement family room 800 sq ft (one big room). There is also a garage on the basement level, obviously in a separate room. The basement has no ceiling- just joists and subfloor. The PE 'Pacific' insert is in the basement on the north end of the house. The stairway is on the same end of the house perhaps eight feet or so to the side of the insert. The stairway door is left open at all times. The upstairs is extremely well insulated, but the exterior doors in the basement are drafty enough that we get plenty of fresh air drawn in (I think).
The heat from the basement comes up the stairs pretty well as it is with the insert blower alone, and I think the lack of finished ceiling allows for some heat transfer that way, too (right?). But I have an invalid living in a bedroom at the south end of the upstairs furthest from the heat source and above the unheated garage and so the coldest room in the house. I am interested in maximizing the heat to her bedroom. There is a cold air return in her bedroom.
At first I thought I would utilize a cold air return near the insert and had one installed. But in reading I have learned that this is not the way to go for various reasons, C02 being one.
Then I tried just using my furnace fan, but as I see has happened to others the air has cooled by the time it exits the registers.
My question is this- which of the two options would get me more heat upstairs:
Exhaust some air from the south end of the upstairs where it is coolest to drawn more hot air in? Like a bathroom exhaust fan only larger?
Or blow cold air back to the downstairs through an existing hole in the floor. I could use a heat register opening by setting aside the ductwork and placing a fan in the opening. Of course then I would lose the register heat to that room...
Or is simply setting a fan in the stairwell blowing cool air down the best thing? Should it be set floor level?
I hope I have described my homes layout in a manner that is understandable. If you need more information please ask.
I know this topic has been discussed to death and I hope like heck I am not violating some secret agreement amongst menbers to cut it out already. I am just learning about air movement so if you prefer to send me to some website to do further research instead of answering that's fine.
Otherwise- how can I best move my air around?
(Photo of insert/basement room attached. It was taken months ago and the TV has been moved away from the insert already. Relax
)
!
